"Interspersed with [a] wealth of well-considered commentary are the smart and affectionate recollections of Burton Bernstein. . . . A flat-out wonderful book." — Booklist, starred reviewOne of the most gifted, celebrated, scrutinized, and criticized musicians of the twentieth century, Leonard Bernstein made his legendary conducting debut at the New York Philharmonic in 1943, at age twenty-five. A year later, he became a sensation on Broadway with the premie...

Andre Kostelanetz On Records and On the Air is a comprehensive discography of the commercial recordings of the Russian/American conductor and radio personality, Andre Kostelanetz. James H. North has collected all his recordings, spanning the range from popular to classical. Organized chronologically by album, North provides the complete details of each recording: composer, song title, timing, date and site of the recording session, producer of that session, and matrix numbers, as well as e...

Chronicling the landmark events in Beethoven's life, this book enhances understanding of the composer's character, inspiring a deeper appreciation for his work.George Alexander Fischer illuminates the composer’s difficult childhood, his struggle to maintain friendships and romances, his ungovernable temper, his obsessive efforts to control his nephew’s life, and the excruciating decline of his hearing. This absorbing narrative provides a comprehensive account of a momentous life, as...

Although the story of Figaro's success in preventing the Count of Almaviva's seduction of his fiancée Susanna was politically explosive, it was tolerated in the court of the relatively enlightened Habsburg Emperor Joseph II. Mozart's opera, Le Nozze di Figaro, uses a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, and was premièred in Vienna in 1786. It was based on a famous play by the Frenchman Beaumarchais, a sequel to The Barber of Seville. Characters including Figaro, the Countess, Cherubino the page, ...

Between 1961 and 1969 the Beach Boys made nineteen albums, including some of the best music ever recorded - and some not so good. In this book, Andrew Hickey looks at this music track by track, analysing every song that Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al, Bruce and David recorded and released during that time period. From early surf and car classics like "409" to sophisticated masterpieces like "Time To Get Alone", in this book you'll learn how they were recorded, why they work the way they do,...

"A fascinating, intimate glimpse into the creative process behind some of the greatest pop songs ever written." — Christian Science MonitorFor the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime—songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been...

Michael Steinberg's highly successful listener's guides--The Symphony and The Concerto--have been universally praised for their blend of captivating biography, crystal clear musical analysis, and delightful humor. Now Steinberg follows these two greatly admired volumes with Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide, the only such guide available to this most popular of musical forms. Here are more than fifty illuminating essays on the classic choral masterworks, ran...

For four decades ABBA - the combined talents of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad - has been a global music phenomenon, clocking up record sales of over 360 million.For the very first time The Complete ABBA compiles all of the Swedish supergroup's singles, albums, TV specials, tours and movies. Beginning with their 1972 debut single People Need Love, the book chronicles the band's incredible story right through to Björn and Be...

From a 2014 perspective, the classic rock era falls basically between the years of 1965 and 1985, It is the rock music produced during these years that is the focus of this book. The book serves as a guide to that music, as well as later recordings produced by the artists that came to prominence during the classic rock era.The book provides biographical information on the greats of classic rock music and references to their finest recordings.

Islands contains the best of composer Ludovico Einaudi's works, such as I Giorni, Nuvole Bianche and Primavera, compiled for the first time into a single collection for solo Piano. Also included here are two brand new tracks, The Earth Prelude and High Heels, as well as two remixed versions of Lady Labyrinth and Eros.Einaudi is renowned for bringing classical music back into the mainstream, with his com...

Known for his growling vocals and for the distinct poetry of his lyrics, Tom Waits has amassed over the course of three decades a devoted cult following. The Early Years collects the lyrics—formative and classic—from the first ten albums of this true bard of hard living. A celebration of both his words and of the artist himself, this lyrical biography charts the course from Wait's emotional debut album, Closing Time (1977), to the experimental stirrings in Heartattack and Vine (1991) and O...

First published in 1897. "The object of the compiler of this Handbook is to present to the reader a brief but comprehensive sketch of each of the operas contained in the modern repertory which are likely to be given during regular seasons. To this end he has consulted the best authorities, adding to the material thus collected his own observations, and in each case presented a necessarily brief sketch of the composer, the story of each opera, the general character of the music, its promine...